New car sales fall again

Buyers’ absence makes for tough market

THE fall in new car sales accelerated in November, with the country’s peak motor industry group saying buyers remain thin on the ground even after 20 consecutive months of declines.

The number of vehicles sold across Australia last month was down 9.8 per cent compared with November 2018, according to a tally issued by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries yesterday, following a 9.1 per cent drop in October and 6.9 per cent slide in September.

A total of 84,708 new cars were sold across Australia during November, indicating there were about 356 fewer vehicles sold per day than in the same month last year.

“It is a tough market – full stop,” FCAI chief executive Tony Weber (right) said, adding that the measures car sellers had tried in recent months had largely failed to spark buyer interest.

“The industry has been looking for a lift for some time now and has activated multiple levers to achieve some stimulation, including incentives, sales and special vehicle editions,” he said. “However, the appetite for new vehicles remains suppressed.”

Sales in November declined in every part of the country, ranging from a 20.7 per cent fall in the Northern Territory to a 0.8 per cent dip in Western Australia, when contrasted with the same month in 2018.

The VFACTS monthly retail sales figures listed the Toyota Hi-Lux as the best-selling model in November 2019, followed by the Ford Ranger and the Mitsubishi Triton, with the Toyota Camry the highest climber among the top 10.

Toyota was the most popular brand during the month, selling 20 per cent of all new cars, followed by Hyundai and Mitsubishi with 8.1 per cent each and Mazda with 7.3 per cent.